One of the best strategies to defeat any enemy is to implement division within its own people. We, the American people, have divided ourselves. We do not need any enemy to defeat us, we are doing an excellent job of that ourselves. Our only solution is to come together as one people, to become one nation under God, and to trust in God as our forefathers did. Instead of attacking our president and putting roadblocks in front of him, we should be praying for him and helping him in any way possible. It’s not about Republicans and Democrats nor about immigrants being able to come in without any restrictions, and not even about Muslims being able to establish shira law here. It’s about Americans being united, helping each other, and turning back to following godly principles.

Comparing yourself to somebody else is a lose-lose situation. If you compare yourself to a homeless person, you will feel extremely wealthy. On the other hand if you compare yourself to a billionaire you will feel like a pauper. If you compare yourself to the biggest sinner in the world, you will think you are a saint, and if you compare yourself to Billy Graham or somebody like him, you will feel like a wretched person. If you compare yourself to Einstein or somebody like him, you will feel like a moron, and if you compare yourself to an idiot, you will think you are a genius.

Conclusion; don’t compare yourself to anybody else. You are unique the way you are. God created you that way for a reason. Do not question His existence or why He created you the way He did. Make the most of who you are. Be happy and make others happy. Just remember – success is not being wealthy, tall, strong, good looking, famous or intelligent. Your success depends on you being happy by giving the best of yourself in making the most out of every experience in your life.

The question is…What is wisdom to you? I don’t know what it is to you, but to me it means combining knowledge with intelligence and making wise and favorable decisions. Are you doing that, or are you making unwise decisions that have negative consequences?

Do not let your bad yesterdays spoil your good todays nor let the worries of the tomorrows take the fun out of your todays. Enjoy every today as if it were your last day on earth because one of them will be your last.

Someone once said: “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.” If your faith is well founded, grounded in the truth, and has been proven to be correct, then it makes a lot of sense. However if your faith is based on a false premise, on lies, on misconceptions, on misinformation, on prejudiced or on biased opinions, then you should do some serious investigation and discard that erroneous faith.

There should be no inseparability between faith and good works. In James 2:17, the Bible tells us: “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, it is dead.” If you say you are a Christian, but are not doing any good works, you are just fooling yourself, because you are not fooling God or anybody else for that matter.

God did not create you so you would be an island. He created you so you would live In abundance (John 10:10), would love yourself, would love others and would love Him (Matthew 22:37-40). If you are lonely, depressed, frustrated or failing, it is because you are being an island. Try loving yourself, loving others and loving God.

You do not have to be wealthy, intelligent, talented, powerful or live at a certain place to live a fulfilled life. You can accomplish that by being peaceful, mild, kind, friendly, helpful, sincere, positive, forgiving, merciful and compassionate.

LET US ACCENTUATE OUR SIMILARITIES AND WHAT IS POSITIVE
Unfortunately the news media, the Democrats, the Hollywood entertainers and some of the sports people accentuate our differences and the negative things. That is just splitting us as Americans further and further apart. They should be accentuating our similarities and what is positive about our country. If we were to do that, that would make us a strong, loving and respected nation around the world. If we keep on doing the opposite that will make us the laughing stock of the world, and will eventually bring about our demise. Think about that!

That is very true because then people are just following the herd. Nobody is thinking on their own. Unfortunately that is exactly what is happening in the United States and maybe even in the world today. Everybody is blaming, insulting and attacking President Trump without stopping to think that most of his ideas if implemented would actually be good for our country. People do not stop to think that if we were to work together we could actually make this a better country for all of us.

In other words, it takes a lot of work to accomplish something that is really outstanding. People have to burn the midnight oil to actually come up with something that may make this world a better place for all of us.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

Racial prejudice and fear come from lack of knowledge and understanding. We cannot solve any problem if we do not understand it. We have to realize and acknowledge we have a problem before we can find out what the real problem is then work on a solution.

“I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within.”

The reason there is racial prejudice is because people only look at the physical aspect of a person and not the inside where the real person lives. The body is just the house where the soul lives. The color of someone’s skin or the shape of his or her body is no indication as to who or what that person really is. Judging a person by his or her personal appearance is like buying a parked car without knowing whether it runs or not.

“No matter who walks away from you. No matter who you walk away from. Never walk away from God.”

I agree 100% with her. People will disappoint you, you will disappoint people, but God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). All of us will live eternally. There are two places where we can spend it; heaven or the lake of fire. You have the privilege of choosing either one of the two. If you fail to choose, for whatever the reason, you have automatically chosen the lake of fire.

MICHAEL JORDAN (1963-Present) – American Retired Basketball Player and Businessman

“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”

You cannot accomplish what you cannot see or envision yourself doing. Great dreams only come true when you have them, put a plan in action, and then work hard to make them become a reality. Giving up, losing hope, and quitting are not options.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (1850-1894) – Scottish Novelist, Poet, Essayist, Musician and Travel Writer.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the deeds that you plant.”
Some days you may reap nothing, but you can always plant a seed. That seed could be a smile, a pat on the back to someone, an encouraging word to someone who needs it, or a needed favor done at the proper time.

A man, his wife and his mother-in-law were traveling through the Middle East. The mother-in-law who was always at odds with the man died. He inquired as to where to bury her. He was told it would cost him twenty thousand dollars in Egypt, six thousand in Iran, but only five hundred in Israel. The funeral owner asked him: “Would you like us to bury her in Israel, since it’s so much cheaper?” The man replied emphatically: “Bury her in Egypt. King Tutankhamun never ever revived, but a man they buried in Israel about two thousand years ago resurrected on the third day.”

Roberto, a nephew of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, asked a peasant man: “If you had two houses, would you give one to my uncle?” “Of course I would,” the man replied. “If you had two automobiles, would you give one to the government?” “Yes, I would,” the man answered. “If you had two cows, would you give one to my uncle?” Roberto asked. “I would most definitely not!” the man answered emphatically. “And why not?” Roberto asked him. “Because I don’t have two houses nor do I have two cars, but I do have two cows,” the peasant told him.

A young Christian couple had just gotten married and were very tight on money. Therefore they both agreed not to spend any money other than for food and the basic necessities. One day the husband came home from work and he noticed that his wife had a brand new dress on. He asked her: “Why did you buy that dress?” She replied: “The devil made me do it.” “You should have used scripture and told him, ‘Get behind me, Satan!’” her husband told her. “I did,” she replied, “but he told me that it even looked better from behind.”

A fifteen-year-old boy came up to his father and told him: “Dad, I am fifteen years old and most of my friends have their own car already. When are you going to buy me mine?” The father replied: “I will get you a car when you cut that long hair you have.” The boy thought for a moment and then he said: “I’ve been reading the Bible, and I find that Moses, Abraham and even Jesus had long hair.” “Yes,” the father said, “but they walked everywhere they went.”

It was almost the end of the work day, and three men who were almost finished painting the last wall of the church were running out of paint. One of them said: “Let’s add some paint thinner to the paint, so we can finish the job and go home.” It sounded like a good thing, so the other two agreed. When they finished it began to rain and the paint washed off. Then they heard a very strong voice that said: “Repaint, you thinners, and thin no more.”

THE YOUNG PASTOR

A young man was appointed to his first pastoral job. The first Sunday he saw a young lady that he really liked. He found out her address and the very next day he went by her house. He knocked at the door, but got no response. He left a note with the scripture Revelation 3:20, which basically says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” The next Sunday he found a note in the offering plate with the scripture Genesis 3:10, which basically says: “I heard your voice, but I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

“During an impassioned sermon about death and final judgment, the pastor said forcefully, “Each member of this church is going to die and face judgment.” Glancing down at the front pew, he noticed a man with a big smile on his face. The minister repeated his point louder. “Each member of this church is going to die and face judgment!” The man nodded and smiled even more. This really got the preacher wound up. He pounded the pulpit emphatically when he came to the ultimatum: “Each member of this church is going to die and face judgment!!!” Though everyone else in the congregation was looking somber, the man in front continued to smile. Finally the preacher stepped off the platform, stood in front of the man and shouted, “I said each member of this church is going to die!” The man grinned from ear to ear. After the service was over, the preacher made a beeline for the man. “I don’t get it,” the preacher said in frustration. “Whenever I said, ‘Each member of this church is going to die,’ your smile got bigger. Why?” “I’m not a member of this church,” the man replied.”

THE MONKEY
A boy was walking with a monkey when a policeman stopped him and said, “Young man, that monkey belongs in the zoo.” The boy told the officer: “OK.” The next day the policeman saw the boy and he still had the monkey with him. The officer told the boy: “Either take that monkey to the zoo or to a circus.” The boy said: “Okay.” The following day the policeman saw the boy again with the monkey, and very irritated he told him: “I told you to take that monkey to a zoo or to the circus.” The boy replied: “Two days ago I took him to the zoo as you told me, and he enjoyed it. Yesterday I took him to the circus and he was delighted. Today I am taking him to see a Walt Disney movie. I think he will enjoy it.”

A Filipino proverb says: “Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga,” which basically means: “If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.” In other words, hard work and perseverance will pay off in the long run. Most people who do not succeed is because they do not do those two things, while the ones who have succeeded will tell you that it took both hard word and perseverance.

A Pakistani proverb says: “Look at a man’ deeds, not whether he is tall or short.”

In other words, do not look at the person physically, look at what he or she is accomplishing. Looks can be very deceiving. There is a saying that says: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In the Bible, Proverb 20:11 says: “Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.”Matthew 7:16 states: “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”Then Luke 6:43-44 puts it this way: “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.”

There is an Icelandic proverb that says: “Allir vilja herrann vera, en enginn sekkinn vera,” which means, “Everyone want to be lord, but no one wants to carry the bag.” The English equivalent is: “Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” In other words, everyone wants to be the boss, but nobody wants to do the work.

Many people want things to change, but they fail to realize that change has to start with them. In other words, they have to change themselves first, and then other things will change. If they maintain the same attitude, and the same way of proceeding with their lives, nothing will ever change. Many times we cannot change the situation, but we can change ourselves, and that can make a tremendous difference.

A proverb from the country of India says: “The eyes do not see what the mind does not want to see.”

Many people make wrong decisions, and especially about people, because they only see what they want to see. Their mind is already made up of what they want to see, and for that exact reason that is what they see. Many people get married and because they are blindly in love they overlook the faults that the other person has. However later on when the love blindness begins to wear off they notice the faults and a divorce is imminent in many cases. Do not fall into that trap!

The people in India have a proverb that says: “If you live on the river, befriend the crocodile.”

In other words, know the people around you, and learn how to get along with them. Know how to protect and take care of yourself. Being wise and practical in a given situation can actually save your life.

LEARNING
There is a proverb in India that says: “Learning is a treasure no thing can touch.”
What it means is that once one has learning no one can take it away. Learning and wisdom are two treasures that every human being should pursue. The wisest thing a person can do is to learn the word of God and to put it into practice by living it. Are you doing that?

FOLLOW THE RIVER
There is a proverb in India that says: “Follow the river, and you will get to the sea.”
It makes a lot of sense. Let me give you some more examples: Follow good advice, and it will go well for you. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and psychologically and you will live longer. Follow Jesus and His teaching and you will get to heaven and will spend eternity with God.
SIGUE EL RÍO
Un proverbio de la India dice: “Sigue el río, y llegarás al mar.”
Hace mucho sentido. Permíteme darte unos ejemplos: Sigue buenos consejos, y te irá bien. Cuídate física, mental, sicológica y espiritualmente, y vivirás una vida más larga. Si sigues a Jesucristo y sus enseñanzas llegarás al cielo, y pasarás la eternidad con

SERVE HIM!
You have eyes, so let them see
the wonders of God.
You have ears, so let them hear
the voice of our God.
You have a mouth, so let it speak
the will of the Father.
You have hands, so let them do
the work of the Lord.
You have a brain, so let it ponder
on the word of God.
You have a soul, so let it belong
to God the Creator.
You will start eternity, so spend it
with God in paradise.

RELY ON GOD
Do not rely on your instincts –
rely on God’s
Do not depend on your intelligence –
depend on God’s
Do not take courage in your money –
take courage in God.
Do not listen to your emotions –
listen to God.
Do not count on your wisdom –
count on God’s
Do not act on your strength –
acts on God’s
Do not follow your ways –
follow God’s.
Do not believe in men –
believe in God.
Do not be in religion –
be in Jesus.
Don’t worship idols –
worship Jesus.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE
When you are even doubting yourself
you are not alone, God is with you to give you faith.
When you are going through difficulties
you’re not alone, God is there building your character.
When you are experiencing tribulations
You are not alone, God is there to make sure you grow.
When fears are trying to overtake you
you are not alone, God will give you the needed hope.
When you’re seeing a storm in your life
surely you are not alone, God is right there next to you.
When you are going through a fiery trial
you are not alone, God is in the fiery furnace with you.

I am lumping actors, athletes. singers and television evangelists together simply because our society seems to idolize them. Now that I think about it I will also include politicians and television anchors to that group because they too are highly opinionated and they too influence many people. The people I mentioned are people just as all the rest of us are, but people look up to them as if they were something extremely special and because of that adulation and adoration by their fans, they think they can impose their will on other people.

Yes, they may excel in a certain sport, in the movie business, in singing or in manipulating the word of God to make people believe that God is a Santa Claus and that He will provide for all their needs, wants and wishes. However the main point is that just because they do well in a certain field that does not mean that they are an authority in a different field.

Many of the famous people have their own brand of clothing or perfume. The reality is that they may not know anything about clothing or perfume. Somebody else makes it for them. They just lend their name to it, and people buy it because it has their name on it. That product might even be inferior to others in the same niche.

Movie stars, singers, athletes, television anchors, and even some television evangelists get involved in politics. They may not know any more about certain issues than the man on the moon, but nevertheless they influence many people. One of the main reasons for that is that people don’t really think for themselves. They just follow the herd like a cow, a sheep or any other animal would. Pathetic, but true!

One point I have not mentioned is that, that group of people earn a lot more money than they should. Some of those people earn – maybe I should say receive – more than twenty million dollars per year. An average person working in a normal job, profession or skill would have to live over a thousand years to be able to earn that amount of money. On top of that some of those people receiving millions do not even have a true university education, while many others who are struggling to make ends meet do.

Being that some of those wealthy idolized people do not have the proper education or that they became extremely wealthy overnight at a very young age they do not know how to handle the fame, the success and the money that goes with it. They get into drugs, drinking, wild sex and who knows what else? Many of them wind up in jail, while others take their own lives. It is not uncommon for some of them to die in their twenties, thirties, forties, and not a high percentage of them get to live past sixty or seventy.

They get caught in a rat race, and they do not have the wisdom to deal with it or to get out of it. The constant peer pressure does them in. That’s because they can only maintain that façade and that lifestyle for a certain amount of time. That has been proven time and time again throughout the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first century.

If you admire, adulate and adore those people, remember that there is only one entity who deserves being praised, worshiped and adored, and that of course is Jesus Christ. He suffered, shed His blood, died, and resurrected so you could spend eternity with Him. Other than Him, nobody died for you. Those famous people who have many fans who adored them have as many faults and flaws as you do, maybe even more. Don’t admire them. They are just human beings the same as you and me.

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35, 4:39, 32:39 and 2 Samuel 7:22), and He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yes, God chose the Jewish people as His children. Genesis 12:2-3 – “I will make you (Abraham) a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Then in Deuteronomy 7:7-9, the Bible says: “The Lord did not set His love on you (Israel) nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

Yes, Israel is the chosen nation and the Jewish people are the chosen ones, but God in His infinite love has grafted us – the Gentiles – in. That means we can have salvation if we receive Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, as our Lord and Savior. Romans 17-20 explains it this way: “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you (the Gentiles – anybody who is notJewish), being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.”

You may ask: “Why did God choose the Jewish people?” He did it because He is sovereign. According to the dictionary sovereign means: “Supreme ruler, especially a monarch.” God is not just the monarch of an earthly principality, but of the whole universe, that of course, includes everything that exists. Nobody can question Him because everyone and everything is under His authority and dominion.

If you read the Bible every time the Jewish people moved away from God, He would allow punishment to come to them. They would repent, and God would bless them again. All God wants is for us to be obedient to Him. We are obedient when we do His will. You may ask, what is His will?

It is in the Bible. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus Himself explains it. Matthew 22:37-40 – “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Love is the key.

God is love (1 John 4:8), and therefore if we want to do His will, receive His blessings, and spend eternity with Him, and not in the lake of fire, all we have to do is love Him and lovepeople. If we do not do those two things, we are just deceiving ourselves because God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:7) nor fooled.

The USA was founded as a Christian nation, and God blessed us for about two-and-a half centuries, but now that we are moving farther and farther away from Him, He is removing His protection and blessings from us. We are fooling ourselves, but in essence our country is not even a shadow of what it used to be or what it should be according to God’s will. He is a sovereign God, and we cannot mock Him and get away with it. Some of His judgments are already upon us. Take a look at the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the volcano in Hawaii, the flooding, the fires all over our country and the demonstrations. They are not isolated incidents, but constant threats, danger and destruction.

What is the solution? There is only one real solution, and that is crying out to God. He will hear and answer our prayers, but only if we are truly sincere and if enough people turn to Him. We cannot play games, but if we do, we will pay the consequences. Which way this country goes is entirely up to us. The Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, the Iranians nor Donald Trump will be to blame, but only us.

The objective of this article is to help you change in the areas where you need changing. You may think you do not need changing, but once you stop to analyze your life, I am sure that you will find some areas where you can improve. Do not feel as if you were the only one – all of us need changing in one area or another. That is because learning is a process. No one can really say, “I already got there.”

To set the tone for the rest of the article I will give you the proverbial example of putting a frog in a pan in cold water and then start heating the water slowly. Because the water is warmed up gradually, the poor frog does not really realize that the water is getting hotter and hotter. Finally it dies without ever realizing what happened to it. Keep that example in mind as I begin to illustrate the main point.

Let us say that you are a young person who comes from a good Christian family and you have never heard any bad words spoken at home, but then you start to run around with a group of kids who use nothing but foul language. At first you feel uncomfortable with that group and with their language, but then as time goes by, you start using a few of their nasty words, but you think that you will only use those one time. Before you know it, not only are you using those same words repeatedly quite often, but you are even using worse ones. You have become a victim of: “The frog syndrome.”

Let us assume you have been happily married for ten years, but then one day you think: “There’s nothing wrong if today I just flirt a little bit with my co-worker.” It starts innocent enough because you have no intentions of going any further, but before you know it you are in an affair with that person. Then after that affair you begin another one, and before you know it your spouse finds out and divorces you. In a divorce everybody suffers, but, without any hesitation, I can tell you that the children suffer the most. Many times the psychological damage they go through is irreversible. Don’t forget what? “The frog syndrome.”

Supposing you have never been involved with drugs and somebody at work offers you some. You may turn the person down two or three times, but then the fourth time you think: “It won’t hurt just one time. Besides I have been working hard. I deserve a little fun.” So you try it because you know it will only be this time, but then the second time it gets a little bit easier, so you do it again. The third time is almost automatic and then you are hooked. You have become a victim of: “The frog syndrome.”

Supposing you are working as a secretary for a big company where they have many products. The first time you take a few paperclips without permission because you know they are not worth much, and besides to such a big company it will not make any difference anyway. A few days later you take a couple of pens because to be quite honest you need them, and the company has so many, what difference will two pens make to them? A few months go by and you start embezzling money because five-hundred dollars is nothing to a gigantic corporation. You need the money more than they do, and besides they are paying you low wages. You guessed it! You are a victim of: “The frog syndrome.”

You are an honest person, but this time you have to tell a little white lie, because after all it will help all concerned. There is no harm if nobody will get hurt and you are just trying to think of everyone’s best interest. After all there is no harm in telling a little white lie. The only problem is that after a while the little white lie becomes a white lie, then a big white lie and finally an outright ugly lie. Now you don’t even feel guilty or think twice before you tell a lie. Unfortunately you have fallen prey to: “The frog syndrome.”

We have a saying, and it goes like this: “You cannot fly with the eagles if you hang around with turkeys.” Another one is: “What you conform to, forms you.” What you start accepting begins to take control of you. Once you open the door to accepting what you did not accept before because it went against the principles you were taught and are living by, then you begin accepting more and more until you are not living by any decent principles at all. That, of course, is: “The frog syndrome.”

The USA is a good example of: “The Frog syndrome.” Our country is not even a shadow of what it used to be, or what it should be. All our meaningful values have been completely eroded to the point where most of what is left is filth. What is good is called bad, and what is bad is called good. There are no guidelines, perimeters, limits or anything to keep us in check. The Bible would call it: “Everyone does as he sees fit.” That is because what we have conformed to has formed us. It is not a pretty sight!

I know the title, “Be a Model,” is probably misleading to some of you who are already envisioning a blue-eyed, blonde, beautiful female model scantily-clad in a bikini that may or may not even cover the essential parts of her body. I hate to disappoint you because this article will not be about that at all. It’s about something entirely different, but it will help you a lot more than looking at a beautiful girl in a bikini.

The main thrust of this article is to help you become a better you. By doing that not only will you benefit from it, but so will society in general. That, of course, is a direct result of no one being an island, but rather being part of something much, much bigger. Whether we actually realize it or not, just about everything we do affects other people in a positive or negative manner. That is an inescapable and irrefutable fact.

If you are a parent, one of your most important roles in life is to be a role model to your children. Children will imitate not so much what you say, but so much more what you do. Your actions will speak volumes to them. In many cases, children later on in life will imitate how you treat your spouse, and of course how you treat them. The way you treat them is the way they will treat their own children. Instead of being a stumbling block to them, be an excellent role model. Demonstrate to them good family and Christian values by your advice, but much more by your actions.

Many studies have shown, are showing, and will continue to show that children who come from broken homes get in trouble with the law, have broken homes themselves, and do not achieve the level of success that other children do. By the same token, children who come from homes where there is no divorce, no separation, no bickering and where the parents have a higher level of education do much better than the ones previously mentioned. That is a reality that in all probability will never ever change.

Be a model wherever you may happen to be. People are always watching and they will judge you according to your behavior. The most important point is that if you do the best you can under any and all circumstances, you will feel good about yourself, and people will appreciate it as well. When everything is said and done, what legacy will you leave behind. Will it be an embarrassing one or will it be one you can be proud of?

It does not really matter what job, skill, vocation, or profession you may have. What matters is that you do it with integrity, honesty, sincerity, professionalism, and to the best of your ability. Even if nobody congratulates you or thanks you, when you finish a duty, task, job, assignment, or whatever it may be, you should be satisfied, and feel proud of the work you did.

When you visit somebody or when somebody visits you, when you leave or when that person leaves, that person should be happy that you were with him or her. Regardless of the circumstances, your positive attitude should be a blessing to that other person. No matter where that person is in life, be an inspiration to him or her. Leave them better than they were before they talked to you.

Being a model person means being part of the solution and not part of the problem. Anyone can criticize, but not everyone can come up with positive workable solutions. Be that type of person who wants to make this a better world for all of us. Don’t allow that type of people become an endangered species! The world does not need more naysayers – it is in desperate need of more doers.

I could give many examples of how to be a role model in difference circumstances, but in conclusion I would like to say that each one of us can be a role model in the big significant things we do, as well as in the small and insignificant ones. We can only do that if we focus on what we are doing, and on trying to be a role model to others who may be affected by our actions.

The question that always arises from unbelievers is: “If there is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?” That question needs answering especially for the sake of the unbelievers, and maybe even for you. Most believers already know the answer or the answers for that matter. I will give you some answers to the question, though it is very possible that I may fall a little short

Lack of preparation may be part of the problem. For example, a person may not get a proper education or skill, and then he or she winds up working in a much more dangerous job than he would if he had the proper education or training. Then he or she has a serious or fatal accident on the job. Yes, he or she may be a nice person, but was working at a place where he or she should not have been working.

No planning and poor planning when we are young can lead us to a serious disaster later in life. If we do not plan financially, psychologically, emotionally or physically, we may wind up in dire straits in our old age. That is probably the main reason why people wind up being homeless.

Without the proper physical and spiritual nourishment a person will probably wind up paying the consequences rather sooner than later.

A nice person chooses a profession, job or skill that is quite dangerous and he or she has a serious accident. This could be an airplane pilot, a race-car driver, a boxer, an astronaut, a movie stunt person, a soldier, a policeman or even a firefighter. You can probably think of other professions, jobs or skills where a person would be at risk. If a person gets hurt or killed on that job, it is because he or she chose that kind of work. God gave us free will, and that means we have the privilege of choosing whatever we want to do.

Most daily decisions are not consequential, but there are some, of course, that have long-lasting consequences. I am referring to smoking the first cigarette, taking a drug for the very first time, having sex out of marriage once while being married, cheating on the job with what seems to be small things, and telling “so-called” white lies. At first all of those things seem innocent enough, but unfortunately they lead to addictions and many times destruction of human lives, and “yes” those things happen to nice people too.

A person could be totally innocent, but be running with the wrong crowd. A bullet intended for another person of the group could actually impact him or her and cause severe damage. There’s a proverb that says: “A person is judged by the company he keeps.” We have to be very careful with whom and with what we get involved. After all, not everything that glitters is gold.

We can be at the wrong place when a catastrophe of one kind or another strikes. It can be an explosion, an act of terrorism, an automobile accident, an airplane crash, a mud slide, an avalanche, torrential rains, an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or a myriad of things. No one, but no one is exempt from them. No matter how much planning, thinking and precautions we take, we may fall prey to a catastrophe of some kind.

Bad things happen to nice people because there are bad people on this planet who will stop at nothing to hurt us. The United States is one of the countries that has the highest percentage of people incarcerated. Now, are most of those people in jails and prisons there because they are nice people, or are they there because they committed a serious crime? That needs no explaining, you already know the answer to that.

All the reasons above are valid, and there are probably many more that I could mention, but I believe those examples will suffice. However, let’s get to the core of the real problem, which happens to be the fall of mankind. Unfortunately we are a broken people living in a broken world, and as long as that remains in effect we will continue to have troubles.

The fall of the human race occurred in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve fell prey to the serpent, which of course was the devil himself. In Genesis 2:17, God had told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Read for yourself in Genesis 3:1-7 how the devil tricked them, and that is how sin entered the world. Genesis 3:1-7 – “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”

When you see band things happening to people, think of some of those reasons I mentioned, but whatever you do, do not blame God. If you must blame somebody, either blame the people if they made wrong decisions, but for sure blame the devil, Adam and Even because they are the ones really responsible for us living in a broken world.

NO BORDERS
If you are a proponent, an advocate of no borders or know someone who is, this article was written for you. It will explain the results of not having borders and of not obeying the existing laws. An inescapable fact is that all nations have borders and laws to protect their individual interests. What I fail to understand is why many of our own citizens are attacking Donald Trump for trying to secure our borders and to only allow people in this country who come in legally. How can that be wrong?
It is not that we don’t have a heart, or that we do not feel compassion for hurting people. It is a matter of economics and self-preservation. We simply cannot afford to help every human being on earth that is suffering. There are billions of people around the world who do not have adequate housing, hygiene, medical attention, food supply, potable water, and other necessities, but we simply do not have enough resources to help all of them.
If we allow all those illegal aliens to stay, who is going to support them? They will need housing, schooling for their children, medical care, food, clothing and much more. That will cost millions if not billions of dollars. Our national debt is already around twenty trillion. Wouldn’t it be wise to start reducing that debt, instead of bringing new people and make our debt even bigger? Facts are facts.
The way we are going, sooner or later the roof is going to cave in on us. Let’s assume that you are one of those people favoring no borders and bringing more people in illegally to our country. Are you going to remove the borders from your house and let them come in and live with you? Are you going to leave your automobile outside with the keys in it in case somebody needs to use it? If you are not willing to share your house, your car, and your income, why not? It’s the same as having open borders. The person who needs to live in your house or use your car could be a homeless one.
How many of the Hollywood stars and Democrat politicians who are advocating letting all those aliens come in are housing them, providing cars for them, providing medical care for them, and befriending them? I would be willing to bet you that the ones who are actually doing it you can count them on your hands. As we used to say “talk is cheap.” One thing is to say it, and another one is to do it.
Most of those people who march against Donald Trump are puppets of the Democratic Party, the Illuminati, Hollywood, George Soros or of other wealthy tycoons who are the ones who really run this country. The sad thing is that those demonstrators do not even know they are being used. They are convinced they are doing the right thing, but are they?
Unfortunately the American news media is constantly feeding us propaganda instead of unbiased news. If you tell the same lie repeatedly and often enough the people will believe it, and that is exactly what is happening. People buy into it because they are too lazy to think for themselves or to investigate the real truth.
People are like sheep. They follow without questioning anything. You don’t believe that? Look at the fads that have come and gone. In the sixties the Beatles came out with long hair. What happened? Most guys started letting their hair grow. Not too long ago a few people started wearing tattoos. What happened? Now it is an epidemic. One homosexual supposedly came out of the closet. What happened? The closets are now empty.

One of the arguments the demonstrators are using is that we cannot separate families. It sounds like a good argument. However we have many service people serving abroad and they are separated from their children and spouses in many cases. We also have many people in our jails and prisons whose children and spouses are separated from them. Am I being led to believe that the children of the illegal aliens count, but the ones belonging to our service people and to the inmates do not matter? It sounds like a disparity to me.
What is happening lately? The in-thing is to attack President Donald Trump and his family. If he says something is black, they will say it is white. If he says it is white, they will say it is black. If his wife wears a dress, they criticize her for wearing it. If she wears pants, they criticize her for not wearing a dress. No matter what Donald Trump and his family may do, one thing is for sure, they will be criticized.
A divided country will not stand. That means that if we keep going the same road, sooner or later the house of cards will crumble. When that happens we will not be able to blame anybody because we will have done it to ourselves. By not being part of the solution, we are being part of the problem.
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THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

We are living in a specific time in the history of the world, and it is important for us to know exactly where we are right now. In order to know that we have to understand the signs of the times. Most of us do not know what those signs are, and for that exact reason we do not recognize them.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time did not know how to discern the signs of the times. That’s why in Matthew 16:1-3, the Bible says: “When the Pharisees and the Sadducees (the religious leaders at the time) came and testing Him (Jesus) asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.”

Because we not want to be as blind as the Pharisees and the Sadducees, we should learn about the signs of the times. The best place to find them, of course, is in the Bible, which happens to be a prophetic book. If you read chapter 24 in the Book of Matthew in the Bible, you will know what most of those signs are because Jesus Himself describes them quite clearly.

In case you do not have access to a Bible, I will enumerate some of them for you. 1. Many will come saying they are Christ, but they will be phonies. 2. There will be wars and rumors of wars. 3. Nation will rise against nation. 4. There will be famines and pestilences. 5. There will be earthquakes in diverse places. 6. Christians will be hated. 7. People will betray and hate one another. 8. Many false prophets will rise and will deceive many people. 9. There will be much violence. 10. The word of God will be preached throughout the world.

In the Book of Daniel 12:4 in the Bible, it tells us that people will travel a lot, and that knowledge will increase. In the Book of Joel 3:28-32, the prophet tells us that: 1. God will pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. 2. Sons and daughters will prophesy. 3. Old people will dream godly dreams. 4. Young people will see visions of God and heaven. 5. Whoever repents and calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved and will spend eternity with God.

If you read history some of these signs have happened already. However they had never converged before as they are now. In other words, many of them are happening simultaneously, while in the past they were scattered here and there. Yes, we are living in what is known as “the end times.” No, this earth will not be destroyed because the Bible makes that very clear.

The earth will endure forever, however, it will be changed or transformed by God Himself. After the third world war, which is the war of Armageddon in Israel, Jesus will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem. This world will once again become like the garden of Eden. The born again Christians – the ones who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior – will reign with Jesus Christ. The people who do not believe in Jesus Christ and do not accept Him in their lives will die and be sent to the lake of fire to suffer eternally.

We are sincerely hoping that you understand the signs of the times. Because in a few months or years it will not be business as usual. Jesus will come for His children – the Christians – at a time when no one expects Him (Mark 13:32). You should look for God while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6-7). There will come a time when it may be too late for you.

If you want to make sure you will not be left behind to suffer when Jesus comes for His believers, repent, ask God to forgive your sins, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and try not to sin purposely. It does not mean you will be perfect or that you have to become an earthly saint. It just means you will be conscious of trying to stay away from sinful situations.

Read the following prayer and when you understand it, pray it to God aloud in all humility and sincerity. He will hear you, will forgive you, and will accept you as His child.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins. Please forgive me as I receive Jesus Christ Your Son as my Lord and Savior. I believe and confess that He is Your Son, that He suffered and died to pay for my sins, and that He resurrected on the third day from the dead. I also ask You to activate the Holy Spirit within me. Thank You Father! Amen.”

IT IS A PRIVILEGE
If you are a negative person, are going through difficulties, are extremely ill, had something bad happen to you or to your family recently, or hang around with negative people, you may not think that it is a privilege to be alive. Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but let us reflect as to what we really have.
We are living in a time when progress is moving at a tremendous and at an alarming rate. Many of us are having a difficult time keeping up with it. Some new product comes out and a few months later a newer one comes out on the market and the first one is completely obsolete. However the positives by far outweigh the negatives.
With the new inventions and the new machines everything can be done easier, faster, more efficient, more comfortable and many times even better than before. That saves us time and allows us to get more accomplished. Prime examples would be in the transportation and communication industries. The telephones and the automobiles are changing so fast that by the time we buy one a newer model has come out and the one we have just bought is yesterday’s news.
The new inventions bring us comforts that even the kings or the very wealthy people were not able to enjoy before. This generation is definitely privileged compared to all the past ones. Those people could not even dream or imagine of having the luxuries we have today. Although we should, we don’t consider them luxuries, but rather necessities. Yes, to a large degree we are spoiled.
Progress is moving so fast that we have no idea how the future will be in twenty or thirty years from now. We can take a calculated guess, but that is all it would be. All around the world there are scientists working on every field at every level. Some of what they are doing is top secret, and some could be common knowledge. Most of what they come up with will benefit mankind, but some will hurt us. Dangerous weapons of any type could wind up killing millions of people in wars or killing members of the general population if they were to fall into the wrong hands.
It is a privilege to live in the United States of America as some of our poor people have comforts and luxuries that many people in other countries do not have. Instead of complaining and criticizing we should be thankful for what we have. Not only are we fortunate to have many comforts and luxuries that other people do not have, but we have a form of government where we have freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom to vote and many other rights and privileges that people in many other countries quite simply do not have.
There is a saying that says: “You don’t know what you have until you lose it.” Ask the Cuban people, the North Koreans or the Venezuelans and they will agree with it. Let us hope that does not happen to our country. As absurd as it may seem, just as it happened in those countries it could happen to us. We are not immune to that, and especially if we go to sleep thinking it could never happen here. Guess what? It could!
No matter in what state or country we live, instead of complaining, blaming others, or criticizing let us stay informed, vote, get involved and help make it better for all of us and for future generations. Let us always count our blessings, learn from our experiences, be grateful, and look for the silver lining in every situation.
If the world gives you lemons, make lemon juice and sell it. Turn your negatives into positive ones. Always look at tomorrow with anticipation. Be a doer, not a complainer nor a criticizer. Remember; not only is it a privilege to be alive. but more so to be alive in this particular time.
http://thelivinglights.com rlsalvation@gmail.com rlsalvation@sbcglobal.net (6/21/18)

YOU CANNOT HAVE FAITH WITHOUT KNOWING GOD
In Romans 10:17 the Bible tells us: “ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When you hear the word of God you begin to have faith in Him, and your faith begins to grow. It is impossible to believe in God if you have not heard His word. That is because if you have not heard His word you do not even know He exists. One cannot have faith in something that does not exist.
The more you read the Bible, the more you go to church, the more you discuss God with people, the more you listen to testimonies about what God has done in people’s lives, the more you pray to God, and the more you see your prayers answered the more your faith will increase. That is the logical progression of your faith.
People who do not believe in God do not feel His presence, do not hear His voice, do not pray, and do not see miracles even if they pray. In John 9:31, the Bible tells us: “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” Then in 1 Peter 3:12, it says: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
God wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him. No, it is not religion! No religion will pave the way for you to get to heaven, but an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ will. To do that you have to get to know Him. If you have a very close friend, you trust and confide in him, and he trusts and confides in you. The reason for that is that both of you have gotten to know each other well. God is no different. He wants to know you well, and He wants you to know Him well.
In John 10:14, Jesus tells us: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” In John 10:27, He tells us: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” If we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are His sheep. Then in John 10:3-4, our Lord tells us: “To him (Jesus) the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep (Christians) hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep (people) by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”In other words, we – the Christians – follow God’s principles and live according to His will because we know what it is, and we do it in obedience.
When the final judgment comes, we will be sent to one of two places; heaven or the lake of fire. if we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior He has paid for our sins with the blood He shed on the cross, and we will be allowed to spend eternity with God. Our Lord will tell us:“Well done, good and faithful servant.”- Matthew 25:23. If we have not received Jesus Christ in our lives, the Lord will tell us: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”- Matthew 7:23.
If you want to come into the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, your first step is to receive Him as your Lord and Savior or Redeemer. If you have never done that, this is the perfect time for you to do it. The reason is simple; you do not even know if you will be alive tomorrow, and if you will ever have that opportunity again. Read the following prayer several times, and when you think you understand it, pray it to God aloud. He will hear you and accept you as His child. That means when you die, you will go to heaven and not to hell or the lake of fire.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins. Please forgive me and receive me as Your child. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He suffered, died, and resurrected on the third day to pay for my sins. I make Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of my life, and I ask the Holy Spirit to live in me, so He can guide me and protect me. Thank You, Father. Amen.”
Now that you are God’s child, get to know Him better. Read the Bible starting with the Book of John, go to a born-again Christian church, fellowship with other believers, praise God in thanksgiving, and pray to Him for your needs. Ask Him to become real to you, and He will. God bless you!
http://thelivinglights.com rlsalvation@gmail.com rlsalvation@sbcglobal.net (6/14

God does not want people to be lukewarm toward Him. A lukewarm person is not really a Christian. He or she is just playing at being a Christian. He or she acts as one when it is convenient and not when it is inconvenient. One cannot be both a Christian and be involved with the sins of the world. A Christ follower lives in the world, but he is not of the world.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Mammon simply means money or possessions. Either we follow God or the things of this world. It’s one or the other. Which one is more important to you?

1 John 2:15-16

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

The things of the world are money, possessions, comforts, pleasures, fame and so on. If we love those things more than God, then we do not really love God, and we may not even have salvation.

Isaiah 29:13-14

“Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

Many people say they believe in God, but they do not live a godly life. Some of them even live lives worse than the ones who say they are atheists.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

We are living in the last days and people have a form of godliness, but deny God’s power.

Titus 1:15-16

“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works theydeny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

You will find many people who say they believe in God, but they deny His power to heal or to do miracles. Do you fit in that category?

Matthew 5:13-14

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

If we lose our faith in God, zeal for serving Him or relationship with Him, we are no good to Him. We may even lose our salvation.

Revelation 3:15-16

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

If God says He will vomit you that means He is throwing you in the lake of fire to suffer eternally.

Matthew 7:21

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Some of those so-called Christians who are lukewarm will be judged and found guilty on Judgment Day. They will be thrown into the lake of fire. Don’t be one of them!

Supposing you do not want to spend eternity burning in the lake of fire, then repent, ask God to forgive you, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and try to live a godly life. No, you will not be perfect – nobody is. Just do the best you can. God will understand. Read the following prayer and when you understand it, pray it to God orally in all humility, sincerity in faith. He will receive it.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins. Please forgive me. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He suffered, shed His blood, died on the cross and resurrected on the third day, so that I could be reconciled to You. I receive Him as my Lord and Savior, and I ask the Holy Spirit to live in me to guide me and protect me. Amen.”

Start attending a good born-again Christian church. Read the Bible, pray to God, and find some Christian friends to fellowship with them whenever possible. God bless you!

Many things, such as lies, propaganda, philosophy, doctrine, ideas and religion, do not have a life of their own. They only become real when we give them life. If we do not accept them they do not have life, and therefore cannot affect us in any way, shape or form. For our purpose I am only going to concentrate more on negative feelings, but realizing full well that we can also give life to the positive ones. Some of those negative feelings are being: worried, anxious, fearful, frustrated, mad, racially prejudiced, anguished, ashamed, bitter, feeling defeated, discouraged, distressed, downcast, frightened, humiliated, perplexed and many more.

PROVERB 18:21

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Positive words have the power to encourage, uplift, and edify, but negative ones can also destroy a person if they are accepted. Words have life, but only if we accept them. The best thing for us to do is not to receive harmful comments from anyone and not to give them out, either.

JOB 3:25-26

“For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

Whatever it was he feared, he gave it life by confessing and by fearing it. In many cases whatever we confess that comes to pass. Instead of confessing the negative, we should confess the positive. We should be eternal optimists.

EPHESIANS 4:29-32

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Two points: Do not receive anything negative from other people, and do not speak negatively to others. Be very careful as to how you speak to children. You could cause life-long damage to them by using the wrong words.

GENESIS 3:5-7

The devil is talking to Eve in the garden of Eden. “For God knows that in the day you (Eve) eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband (Adam) with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”

The garden of Eden was perfect. Sin was unknown here on earth. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience sin entered the world. They gave life to it by listening to the devil and by obeying him instead of God.

ROMANS 3:1-4

“What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let Godbe true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”

We can give life to God’s word and to the Holy Spirit in us if we read His word, pray it, live it, and teach it to others. We can use His word to rebuke the attacks of the devil and those of people who attack us for any given reason. In other words, we do not receive the attacks and we cast them away from us using the word of God.

MATTHEW 18:18-19

“Assuredly, I (Jesus) say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

This scripture gives us the power not to give life to anything that is negative, anything that comes from the devil, or anything that may cause us harm. Instead of giving life to that, we can give life to God’s will in our lives. We can do that by receiving God’s word and not the word of the devil or the world.

Keep in mind that you give life to whatever you receive. Quit receiving negative doctrines, ideas, advice, philosophies, lies, propaganda, or anything that goes against the will of God. Just receive whatever is helpful, healthy, positive, and godly. Speaking of receiving, the best thing you can receive is salvation – eternal life. You may do that by receiving Jesus Christ in your life as your Lord and Savior. If you do not know how to do that, simply read the following prayer, and when you truly understand it, pray it to God aloud in all humility and sincerity. He will hear you, forgive all your sins, and receive you as His child – you will spend eternity with Him and not suffering in the lake of fire with the devil and his demons.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins. Please forgive me. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He suffered and died on the cross to pay for my sins, and that He resurrected on the third day from the dead. I also receive the Holy Spirit in my life, and I ask You to bless me with good health and that I may find favor with You and with people wherever I may go. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you. Come back to this blog every week. Find a good born-again Christian church where they teach the word of God directly from the Bible. You’ve got hell to lose and heaven to gain!

Some people say they don’t know how to pray, others say they don’t know how to pray aloud, and still others say they don’t know how to pray in a group and so on. Yet the word of God tells us to pray without ceasing, to bring everything up to God, and to come boldly to the throne of grace.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God does not want us to be worried, frustrated, anxious or fearful. He wants us to bring all our problems up to Him, and He will help us with them.

EPHESIANS 6:18

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“

God wants us to be praying to Him in tongues or, at least, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to persevere in prayer – not just to pray it once and forget about it.

PSALM 55:22

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

If we are righteous, and we give our problems to God, He will help us with them. He will either remove the problem, or He will be with us in the middle of the storm, whatever it may be.

PROVERBS 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

The key word is trust. The Bible tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We should acknowledge God every day, and in everything we do. That is what pleases Him.

HEBREWS 4:14-16

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are,yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Jesus is our High Priest and He is at the right hand of the Father in His throne in heaven (Acts 5:31 andMark 16:19) interceding for us, but only if we are praying in His name (John 14:14 and John 15:16). It is called The Throne of Grace because it is only by God’s love and His forgiveness for us that we have salvation, and that we can come to His throne and ask Him to bless us in one way or another. We do not deserve it, it is a love offering from God to us. Grace actually means unmerited favor.

Nevertheless in prayer we can come up boldly to the throne of God, and make our requests known to Him. Of course, it would be very fit and proper if we were to praise Him, adore Him and exalt Him before petitioning Him to do something for us. We need to worship Him for who He is, and not just for what He can do for us.

In most countries when a crime is committed if it is known who committed it, he or she is punished. That punishment is here on this earth, but God has an eternal punishment for those who sin do not repent and who do not receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

GENESIS 3:6-7 and 3:23-24

“So when the woman (Eve) saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband (Adam) with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Genesis 3:23-24 – “Therefore the Lord God sent him (Adam) out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Adam and Eve were punished by being cast out of the garden of Eden because they disobeyed God.

ISAIAH 14:12-15 and REVELATION 12:7-9

““How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to sheol (hell), to the lowest depths of the pit.” Revelation 12:7-9 – “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon (the Devil); and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Satan (who was a privileged angel) tried to exalt himself above the throne of God, and he and the angels (later became demons) who followed him were cast out of heaven. They were eternally punished for rebelling against God.

1 SAMUEL 15:1-3

“Samuel (a prophet) also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

Amalek and his men had attacked the Israelites (God’s chosen people) while they were roaming in the desert on their way to the promised land (the country of Israel), so God had a severe punishment for them.

GENESIS 18:20-21 and GENESIS 19:24-25

“Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievousthat I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” Genesis 19:24-25 – “Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.”

The grievous sin that the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were involved with was sexual perversion – having sex with members of the same sex. God had every single resident killed, except for Lot and his two daughters. Sin may not necessarily be punished in this world, but if the person has not repented and has not received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, the inescapable fact is that it will be punished in the next one – the lake of fire.

WE WILL GIVE ACCOUNT TO GOD

2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Romans 14:12-13 – “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Matthew 12:36-37 – “But I (Jesus Christ) say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

All of us have sinned, and that sin has to be paid for one way or another. Sin cannot go unpunished. When we face God in the final judgment if we have not received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or if we have not repented of our sins, they will still be with us, which means that God will demand payment for them. Unfortunately for many of us that payment will be spending eternity suffering in the lake of fire.

However if we have repented and we have received Jesus Christ in our life as our Lord and Savior, all our sins have been paid for, forgiven and forgotten because Jesus paid for them by shedding His blood and dying on the cross. We will not be punished because Jesus took our punishment on His own body. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, this is your perfect opportunity to do so. Read the following prayer, and when you understand it, pray it to God aloud in all sincerity. He will hear you, will forgive you, and will make you His child. That means you will spend eternity with Him and not with the Devil suffering eternally in the lake of fire.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins. Please forgive me, as I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He bled and died on the cross to pay for my sins, and that He rose on the third day from among the dead to reconcile me with You. Allow the Holy Spirit to live in me, so He can guide me and protect me. Thank You, Father God. Amen.”

Every single one of us needs to hear the word of God, so we can either accept it or reject it. Since God gave us free will, once we hear the truth, it is up to us what we do with it. If we reject it, God will judge us in the final judgment, and will find us guilty of all our sins. That of course will send us to spend eternity in the lake of fire. Not a very pleasant thought!

HOSEA 4:6

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Through the prophet Hosea, God was telling the Jewish people that they would wind up in hell and later on in the lake of fire because they did not know His word. Since they did not know His word, they were not living it. The same applies to us today. We cannot live by God’s word if we are ignorant of what it says.

ROMANS 10:17

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The apostle Paul tells us very clearly that faith comes from hearing the word of God. It is impossible to have faith in God if we do not even know that He exists. The only way we can learn of God’s existence, that His Son died to pay for our sins on the cross, that Jesus gave us examples of how to live a Christian life, and what is the will of God is by reading the Bible. There are no shortcuts.

JOHN 8:31-32

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The only way we can abide and apply the word of God is by knowing it, and if we do that, then we will be set free from sin. The reason being is that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross by shedding His blood for us. He paid the penalty that we should have paid. We can only know that and know Him by reading the Bible, by going to church and by praying.

ISAIAH 52:6-7

“Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ” How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord (Matthew 23:39 and Psalm 118:26) proclaiming good news. Jesus, of course, came in the name of the Lord, but blessed is anybody who takes the good news of salvation to others who desperately need it. Are you doing that?

ROMANS 10:13-15

“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”

We, who know the word of God, are called to take it to others who have not heard it yet. We are to try and evangelize those around us. You may be the only Christian your loved one, friend, co-worker, neighbor or acquaintance knows. If you do not tell him or her about the plan of salvation, who will?

MATTHEW 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and spoke to them (His disciples), saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

This command from Jesus has become known as “The Great Commission.” Although Jesus gave it to His disciples, it applies to every single one of us today. We are supposed to take the gospel, which means “good news” to as many people as possible. The good news is that Jesus paid for our sins when He suffered and died on the cross. All we have to do is repent, ask God to forgive us, receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and try to do the will of God. No, you are not expected to be perfect – just do the best you can.

GIVE SACRIFICIALLY
All of us give in one way or another, but what pleases God the most is when we give sacrificially. Yes, we give from our need and not from our abundance. What we give does not necessarily have to be money, although it can be that. We can also give of our time, talents, abilities, wisdom, knowledge, faith, and the love of God that flows through us.
JOHN 3:16-17
“ For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
Father God sacrificially gave up His Son Jesus Christ to be killed as a common criminal to make salvation available to us. Whether we receive it or not, that’s entirely up to us.
1 JOHN 3:16-19
“By this we know love, because He (Jesus Christ) laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we should be willing to help people in whatever way we can. All of us have different gifts, talents, abilities, and possessions that can be used to help others in their time of need. Today they have a need, tomorrow we may be the ones who have a need and somebody else will help us.
We should not just talk Christian talk, but we should walk the Christian walk. In other words, we need to demonstrate the love of God to others through our actions. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, both a kind gesture and a favor when it is needed speak volumes.
HEBREWS 13:16
“ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
We should share with others what we have and that pleases God. We may just happen to have something somebody else needs. Maybe he or she needs it more than we do. Giving it may be a sacrifice to us, but if we are following godly principles we will give it up. In Acts 20:35, Jesus tells us that there is more pleasure in giving than in receiving.
JAMES 2:15-16
“ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”
A Christian cop-out is to say, “I’ll pray for you.” A prayer is fine, but what the person needs could be a blanket, a meal, five dollars, a listening ear, physical help or some other need that could be met by any practicing Christian. A little sacrifice by the Christian person could go a long way toward helping the person meet his or her need.

1 KINGS 17:7-16
“Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him (the prophet Elijah): ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have instructed a widow there to supply you with food.’ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’ As she was going to get it, he called, ‘And bring me, please, a piece of bread.’ ‘As surely as the LORD your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it – and die.’ Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.”’ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
There was a bad famine in the land because it had not rained for a long time. The widow obeyed God following the instructions that Elijah gave her, and God blessed her because of her obedience and because she was giving from her need, not her abundance.
LUKE 21:1-4
“And He (Jesus) looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
According to Jesus the widow gave more than all the rest because she gave from her need. She gave all she had. Although the Bible does not actually say it, more likely than not, God supplied all her needs.
The most important point is to give of yourself sacrificially. There is a myriad of ways of giving. Just give as the situation requires it. Times change, circumstances change, places change, and situations change, but if you are a true Bible-believing Christ follower you will find a way to give sacrificially from your need. It may not make sense to your friends, fellow workers or the general public because God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
http://thelivinglights.com rlsalvation@gmail.com rlsalvation@sbcglobal.net (7/5/18)

WE ARE HEIRS WITH JESUS CHRIST

If we have been born again, we are heirs to the kingdom of God together with Jesus Christ. That means God has adopted us as His children, and as His children we have certain rights and privileges. However those right and privileges do not come automatically to us. We have to claim them and exercise them.

JOHN 3:1-3

“There was a man of the Pharisees (the religious leaders) named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

One is born again when one receives Jesus Christ in his life as his or her Lord and Savior. When one does that, one becomes a child of God. Are you a child of God?

JOHN 8:32 and 8:34-36

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:34-36 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, and a son does not abide in the house forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

Jesus was telling this to some who claimed to be believers, but they did not believe in Him. The truth is that Jesus paid for our sins when He suffered, died on the cross and resurrected. If we know that, claim it, repent, ask God to forgive us, and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are set free from sin, and we will spend eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father.

ROMANS 8:15-17

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit ofadoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs withChrist. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

When one becomes a Christian, one becomes a child of God who is set free from the bondage of sin and from the past. One is considered to be a new person by God (2 Corinthians 5:17). In eternity we will be heirs with Jesus Christ to everything that Father God has.

ROMANS 8:28-30

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to theimage of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

IF we are Christians, we are justified from our sins because Jesus already paid for them. It does not mean we can go on sinning purposely, but when we do if we repent, ask God to forgive us, and do our best not to sin again, God forgives us and we are clean as if had never sinned.

1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-10

“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

The scripture is referring to what we will have in eternity when this life is over for us. Unfortunately only the Christians will go through this experience. The ones who fail to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will spend eternity suffering in the lake of fire. Don’t be one of them!

PSALM 103:1-14

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things,so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.”

A few practical benefits of being a Christian: 1. We will spend eternity with God. 2. We can bring our problems to God in prayer and supplication. 3. God protects us from harm. 4. He can give us victories over our enemies. 5. He can make the crooked paths straight for us. 6. He can heal us when we are ill. 7. He may perform miracles for us if they are needed. 8. He can help us to make decisions. 9. He can handle our hurts, frustrations, anxieties, fears and anything else that may be bothering us. 10. He can restore broken relationships. 11. He can help us leave behind some bad addictions.

THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER
In biblical days, even before Jesus was born, the price of a slave was thirty pieces of silver, and that was exactly what Judas received for betraying Jesus. That was the price he and the Pharisees put on Jesus’ life. How much is your life worth?
EXODUS 21:32
“If the ox gores a manservant or a maidservant (they would be slaves), he (the owner of the ox) shall give to their master (the owner of the slaves) thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned (would be killed by stoning).”
This time was about 1445 years before Jesus Christ was born. The price of a slave was thirty pieces of silver then and during Jesus’ lifetime.
ZECHARIAH 11:7-13
“So I (the prophet Zechariah) shepherded the flock (It is referring to the Jewish people) marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock (the people) detested me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd (He would not be the leader of the Israelites). Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD. I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! (That is what they figured the life of Zechariah was worth). So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the LORD.”
in those days the price of a slave was thirty shekels or thirty pieces of silver. Can we really put a price on a human life?
MATTHEW 26:14-16
“Then one of the twelve (Jesus’ disciples), called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests (the religious leaders) and said: ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him (Jesus) to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he (Judas) sought an opportunity to betray Him (Jesus).”
Jesus was only worth thirty pieces of silver to Judas and to the religious leaders. How much is He worth to you?
MATTHEW 27:3-5
“ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.”
Judas had remorse, but he never repented. If he had repented, Jesus more than likely would have forgiven him. No one knows for sure, but there is a high probability that he may be suffering in hell. God cannot be mocked (Galatians 6:7). Do not gamble with your eternity. You can make sure that you will be going to heaven and not to hell.

MATTHEW 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Do not be fooled by the devil, the world or even by your own mind. Your soul is priceless. God considers it a treasure. No amount of money, power or fame can buy it or be a substitute for it.
The treasures that God is referring to are our souls. Yes, you can be a treasure to Him if you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9, Luke 12:8, John 3:16, John 14:6, John 3:3).
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LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD
People who do not want anything to do with God are dead to Him. Those are the people who will never repent and just plainly refuse to believe in God. They are not dead physically, they are dead spiritually. God does not want to have anything to do with them because He knows their heart.
JOHN 5:36-40
“But I (Jesus) have a greater witness than John’s (John the Baptist); for the works which the Father has given Me to finish – the very works that I do – bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent (Jesus Christ), Him you do not believe.”
Jesus was talking to the Jewish leaders. They were trying to kill Him because He was healing people, saying He had come from God, and people were beginning to follow Him. In essence, He was a threat to their leadership.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”
This refers to people who will never repent, will never receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and who do their best to discredit God’s existence and to insult Christians. It does not refer to people who will repent and who will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
MATTHEW 23:25-30
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’”
Jesus was talking to the religious leaders. They did not accept Him as the Messiah, and He did not accept them for salvation. They were as good as dead to Him.
JOHN 8:44-47
“ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Jesus told this to a group of Jews who did not believe in Him or in His word. Those people were dead to God.

MATTHEW 8:21-22
“Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
What Jesus meant was for the ones who had no salvation – spiritually dead – to bury the ones who were physically dead.
If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are dead to God, which means you are totally separated from Him. Do not despair because God in His infinite love for us made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. That way, of course, is Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus Himself tells us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
If you want to make sure that you are not dead to God, go to this page to the article entitled, “You Cannot Have Faith Without Knowing God.” At the end you will find what we call, “The Sinner’s Prayer.” Pray it to God, and He will receive you as His child.
http://thelivinglights.com rlsalvation@sbcglobal.net rlsalvation@gmail.com (6/14/18)

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Two key points: One, the people had no king, no political leader and no spiritual leader. Two, they did what was right in their own eyes. They made up their own rules, their own gods and their own way of living. They did not cry out to God, so as far as He was concerned He did not even know them, much less help them in times of trouble.

If you are not reading the Bible or going to church, you are doing what is right in your own eyes, but that is not right in God’s eyes, and consequently you may wind up suffering eternally in the lake of fire. My recommendation is for you to start attending a good born-again Christian church, to start reading the Bible, to start praying to God, and to start living according to God’s word in the Bible.

“The word of the Lord came again to me (the prophet Ezekiel), saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.”

It sounds to me like the United States and many other countries in the world are consistently sinning against God by their persistent unfaithfulness. Each country is doing what seems best in its own eyes, without regard as to what God’s will might be. The consequences are already happening and more severe ones will come in the future, unless we reach out to God once again.

“But this is what I (God) commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’”

This is what God spoke to the Jewish people through the prophet Jeremiah about 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Guess what? Today God is telling the same thing to every single country on this earth. Not only is God telling this to your country, whichever it may be, but He is telling this to you as well.

Whenever you pray to God for a specific need, pray in complete faith and ask God the Father in the name of Jesus. Read the following scriptures in the Bible, and they will tell you exactly that: John 14:13-14, 15:7, 15:16, 16:23-24. Matthew 18:19, 21:22. Mark 11:23-24. James 1:5-6. 1 John 3:22, 5:14-15.

There are five principles that apply: 1. You have to be a born-again Christian. 2. You have to ask in the name of Jesus. 3. It has to be God’s will. 4. You must ask in faith. 5. Even if the answer to your prayer is in God’s will, it will be done in His timing, not necessarily yours. You can meet the criteria.

If you are not yet a born-again Christian, you are not necessarily out of the ballgame. Simply repent of your sins, ask God to forgive you, receive Jesus Christ in your life as your Lord and Savior. God will definitely hear your prayer. If you do not know how to do that, read the following prayer, and when you truly understand it, pray it to Father God aloud in all sincerity and not only will He hear you, but He will make you His child, which means you will spend eternity with Him and not suffering in the lake of fire with the devil and his demons.

“Father God, I repent of all my sins, and I ask You to forgive me. Because I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He suffered and shed His blood on the cross to pay for my sins and that He resurrected on the third day, I receive Him as my Lord and Savior. I also ask You to allow the Holy Spirit to live in me, so He can guide me and protect me. Thank You, Father God. Amen.”

“ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord;Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things;
Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.”

Although the prophet Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus Christ was born, it sounds like he is describing today’s group of people. Yes, this is a rebellious generation. It keeps on moving further and further away from God.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This prophecy, of course, is about Jesus Christ. God gave this prophecy to the Jewish prophet Isaiah about 700 years before Jesus was born. The bibles and books of other religions do not have any prophecies because only God knows the future.

“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
If you are a Christian and things are happening in your life that you do not understand, you should know that through God all things work together for good. Although it may look dim now, God will turn it around and something good will come out of it. You just have to have faith, be confident and wait patiently.

The story starts in 1900 in a hospital in the deep segregated South, where Melinda, a white prejudiced woman who had seen the black people living and working as slaves all her life, gives birth to a black baby girl. She is completely surprised and mad at the same time because she cannot understand why this happened to her. Immediately because of her hatred for black people, she rejects the child and makes life miserable for her husband, the child and everybody around her. The child turns out to be very sweet and talented, but suffers tremendously because of her mother’s complete indifference and rejection toward her. The only reason the marriage survives is because the husband is extremely benevolent and suffers in silence, not only because his wife rejects the child, but because she also rejects him blaming him for the child’s skin color. Not being able to keep the secret any longer, Melinda’s mother on her death bed tells Melinda that years ago she had an affair with a black man and that Melinda is the product of that love affair. It takes Melinda completely by surprise knowing that her daughter is black because of her genes and not because of her husband’s. She cries uncontrollably knowing that instead of being the innocent victim, as she presumed to be for so many years, she had been the guilty one. As difficult as it is for her because of her character, she makes an attempt to sincerely repent. She apologizes to her husband and daughter for being so mean to them all those years. The husband and the daughter, who is now almost an adult, forgive her because all they have been seeking all along is for her to receive their love and to acknowledge them as her family.

Love Prevails

The story starts in Hollister, California in 1945 when Mary, a Christian woman, who has been trying to get pregnant for many years, has a dream and in that dream Jesus appears to her and tells her that she is going to have twin boys. She does not know if it’s only a wishful-thinking dream or if it’s a real one from God. Within the next few months she has more dreams and God tells her to name the children Elijah and Elisha after the two prophets. The children are born and the couple is extremely happy. Then in 1947 many bikers come to town disrupting the peace and quiet of a sleepy town and putting the family in danger. The movie, “The Wild One,” starring Marlon Brando was based on that. The story stays in Northern California going up to the 1970’s. It focuses on the Christian upbringing the family gives their twin boys in which they teach them to live entirely by faith. The first test to challenge their faith comes when the family doctor tells Jack, the father, that he has terminal cancer and that he has only a few months to live. The news is totally unexpected and Jack receives it almost in total disbelief. He asks himself and God the usual question: “Why is this happening to me just when everything was going so well?” Doubts begin to crowd every other thought out of his mind. Because of unconfessed sin, the demon of cancer has entered his body.

The twins, who are now attending the university, come home for the summer. As they find out that the father has cancer, they begin to fast and pray with their parents. One day, Elijah – one of the twins prays over his father. He rebukes the spirit of cancer, who talks back to him, but has no choice but to come out in the name of Jesus. Jack, the father, is completely healed leaving the doctor confused as to how he was healed from terminal cancer.

As the boys are returning back to the university ORU the plane crashes, but just before it does the boys pray for God to protect them. Many passengers die, but as a miracle from God the boys are completely unharmed. The story ends as both of the boys return home and establish their professional lives. Good prevails over evil and love prevails over everything else.

From Spain To Israel

The story starts in 1492 when, because of racial hatred for the Jews because of their refusal to convert to Catholicism, they are expelled from Spain. They are given three choices; convert to Catholicism, leave the country or be incarcerated. Some of them for not complying are killed or injured by the knights. Then the story continues in the 1920’s when a Jewish family, looking for a place to practice their religion and for better financial opportunities, leaves Spain and moves to Mexico. In Ensenada, Baja California they succeed for a while as sheep ranchers, but then they encounter violence because the Mexicans have not forgotten that the Spaniards plundered their land. On top of that, at that time, there are still many wealthy Spaniards raising sheep and paying the Mexican peasants very low wages for taking care of the sheep. The Mexican peasants resent that, but they have no choice since they are extremely poor. Their child Aviel is taunted and beaten up by Mexican children because they consider him to be a Spaniard who does not belong to the Catholic religion. The hatred against them grows to the point where the locals burn their house down and want to kill them. As they see the locals approaching their house at night with torches, they flee for their lives. The family goes to Tijuana where the father is killed by a drunk. Eventually the wife, Chava, remarries. A Mexican-American pastor, whom she met when they prayed for a dead Mexican child who had been run over by a car and as a result of their faith and prayer God revived him, asked her to marry him. She does and they move to the United States. Aviel grows up in the United States and having seen hatred against his people most of his life and having seen God perform miracles, becomes a pastor in the US, gets married to a Jewish girl and by God’s will they relocate to Israel in 1948 where they see the birth of a new nation. Together they start the first Christian church in the new nation of Israel.

The story is very realistic because it does follow history. It has love, hatred, friendships, family relationships and miracles because of their faith in God.

The Unwanted Ones

In 13th century England, a wealthy childless and unbelieving couple who has never heard from God hears from Him through dreams. At first they don’t know what to make of it, but as the dreams keep reoccurring they not only begin to believe and have faith in God, but they take action. They are told to leave everything behind, to build a cabin in Sherwood Forest, to rescue twelve urchins from the streets of Nottingham and raise them in the woods as if they were their own, teaching them how to become productive Christian citizens by learning to be responsible, by loving themselves, loving others and loving God. Each individual child as well as each adult goes through the growing process of learning how to live in a primitive environment, how to work as a team, who they really are, how to establish a relationship with God, how to grow in faith and how to depend on God for everything. In the process they encounter many challenges that brings out the best or the worst in each one of them. Some of the dangers they overcome are poisonous snakes, dangerous bears and bobcats. Other obstacles are: Robin Hood and his men, who threaten them, but then become their friends, hard work and a strong discipline. Because some of the children are in danger and have not yet fully believed in God, Jesus appears to them to protect them and to let them know that He is real. This not only affirms the faith of the children, but it also reaffirms the faith of the adults, who are also going through the process of learning to live God’s way.

This story has everything: Doubt, faith, lack of discipline, discipline, love, fear, grit, compassion, danger and much more.

God Has No Boundaries

God’s love, protection, forgiveness and authority have no boundaries as it is demonstrated in this story, which deals with a current situation that many families are facing today. It starts in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico where an American pastor and his wife have made intimate connections with the local Mexican people. Because of the dire situation in Mexico, the pastor and his wife illegally and successfully smuggled a young Mexican family into the US. If they had been caught they would be facing jail or prison time. They would be considered “coyotes,” people who smuggle illegal aliens into our country. The young couple comes with two small children. By borrowing birth certificates from parents of American children who had died, the parents are able to enroll the children in school with fake names. The children adjust quite well, but the parents are forced to live in the shadows, as if they were criminals. Pastor Bill takes Memo, the Mexican man, to Utah where they are giving driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. On their way to Utah they find a man who has died in an automobile accident and has gone to hell. They pray for him, his soul comes back to his body and his injuries are completely healed. Once Memo has his license, he is able to use a pickup to do yard maintenance work. However, Memo and the family still live in constant fear of being deported. Tito, Memo’s oldest son, asks an American girl to a high school dance. She goes with him because she likes him, but her grandfather is opposed to the whole thing because he is totally prejudiced against Mexican people, but since her grandmother likes the boy everything turns out OK. After quite a few years of living in this country, Memo and his wife are caught by immigration officers and are sent to an immigration detention camp near San Diego. Their two sons, who are now teenagers, with help from the pastor, his congregation and from God manage to get their parents released.

Many Hispanic families are facing similar problems right now. Families are separated, children are left without their parents, wives are left without husbands and husbands are left without wives. As long as Mexico, the Central American and the South American countries remain third-world countries the problem will remain. There are no protagonists or antagonists, but there are many victims on both sides of the border.